Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to distributed computing systems, and more particularly, to signaling of refresh rate for efficient data update in distributed computing environments.
Background
The client-server model of distributed computing has evolved from multiple individual “dumb” hardware video terminals that merely provide simple video access points to a mainframe computer that executes the application logic to modern complex rich computing devices that execute local applications which may act as a client to a server application located within the same computing device or a server application or hardware located remotely and accessible through a traditional wireline internet protocol (IP) network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), or by accessing an IP network through a wireless wide area network (WWAN).
Internet access through the World Wide Web (WWW) is generally implemented in a client-server model. A web browser, operating locally on a computing device, communicates using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) through an IP network to various numbers of remote web servers that provide the application data, logic, and/or simple hypertext markup language (HTML) documents that are interpreted and displayed by the web browser. The web browser, operating locally, transmits a request using HTTP over the IP network addressed to a particular web server. The web server then responds with the requested data and any status codes that may identify additional information, problems, or the like. Other examples include standalone applications that access data, whether processed remotely or simply recorded remotely, for use in the locally executing application. News applications, stock quote applications, weather applications, games, and the like; each such application may operate locally on a computing device, whether a desktop computer or other mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer, tablet computer, mobile phone, or the like, and access remote servers for the data to be processed and displayed on the computing device.
In operating applications using the client-server model, the client device/application will typically transmit periodic update requests to receive updated or refreshed information. For example, in the web browser example, the browser will periodically send update requests to refresh the display with new information. Stock quote applications will periodically request updates of the current stock prices. With the widespread availability of broadband network access, the use of the bandwidth often does not seem of consequence to wireline internet connected computers. However, client devices that access using wireless technologies may have limited bandwidth for use or if the clients are mobile devices, power consumption and battery life are important considerations, which may become an issue with unnecessary data update request transmissions. Too many refresh requests may drain the battery more quickly in such mobile wireless devices, rendering the device useless for other types of communication or diminishing the time available for use between charging the battery.